"I have never experienced so much pain! The doctors told me this type of fracture, the pain is more painful than delivering babies, but I said I don't know because I never had that experience. But I can tell you it is very painful," said the Transport Minister

Hundreds of netizens have criticised Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan for comparing the pain he suffered after fracturing his left arm to the pain mothers go through during childbirth.

Khaw, who is still on extended medical leave, revealed the circumstances of his fracture on Sunday (24 Mar) as he spoke at the Women’s Festival at Kampung Admiralty – his first grassroots event since he suffered the injury, last month.

The 66-year-old Sembawang GRC MP said that the accident occurred around midnight when he was in bed and had the urge to use the washroom. Bragging that the mishap occurred partly because he is “a very good husband,” Khaw recalled:

“My wife was sleeping very well, and I am a very good husband, so I did not want to disturb her. I knew I should not have jumped out of bed, but I did so anyway.”

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Khaw’s sudden movement backfired and he fell to the floor with a loud bang, waking his family who called for an ambulance. Doctors reportedly believe that Khaw fainted as he got up too quickly, leading to the bad fall.

The Minister was conveyed to Singapore General Hospital where he remained for two weeks as he recuperated from a three-hour surgery that saw doctors insert a piece of titanium plate into his fractured arm.

Speaking to his resident at the Women’s Festival, Khaw described his pain and said his doctors said the pain he suffered is greater than the pain of delivering babies:

“I have never experienced so much pain! The doctors told me this type of fracture, the pain is more painful than delivering babies, but I said I don’t know because I never had that experience. But I can tell you it is very painful.”

Khaw’s comments has drawn intense flak from netizens who felt that his story was “embarrassing”. Netizens noted the event at which Khaw made the remarks and criticised him for comparing an arm fracture to childbirth.

Urging the Minister to “get over it,” several netizens also compared the well-paid Minister’s injury to the plight of Singaporeans who get injured but cannot afford medical treatment: